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Bottoms Up: Waterloo Music Festival

The grooves are being served in Austin, TX from September 7-9 at Waterloo Music Festival. With 2 stages, headliners headliner heroes that play for 3 nights, up and coming funk stars and mainstage mainstays all weekend, this is one you can’t miss. The festival held at Carson Creek Ranch bears the namesake of Austin’s original city name with many landmarks around Austin still being named with the Waterloo namesake.

While we often buy tickets to see our favorite musicians, festivals offer the perfect opportunity to broaden our music schemas and fall in love with new artists. Festivals feature both the biggest names in music (and on the lineup) and artists that are on the brink of greatness (and just a little bit further down the poster). Here are our picks for up-and-coming artists that you might have missed if we had not looked at the lineup from the bottom, up!

Mamafesta

Mamafesta is no newcomer to the scene, having formed in 2011, and entices and evokes the spirit of the soul. Mamafesta is an original groove-rock outfit that was born in the fall of 2011 with a broad pallet of sounds and a conscious awareness for the rhythms of life. Over the years Mamafesta has channeled their original sound and reach out to their audiences through their musicianship and vocal messages in and around the Austin, TX music scene.

Big Something

It’s got all the vibes of sublime sunshine, complete with horns, bass walks as funky as a basset hound and an inescapable desire to dance. A 6 piece powerhouse with a sound that is both unique and timeless, Big Something fuses elements of rock, pop, funk, and improvisation to take listeners on a journey through a myriad of musical styles. It’s no secret why this group has quickly become one of the most exciting new bands to emerge from the Southeast. Soaring guitars, EWI (electronic wind instrument), synths, horns and alluring vocal hooks rise to the top of their infectious collection of songs and represent a sound that has caught the ears of such revered stalwarts as Umphrey’s McGee, Moon Taxi, Galactic, moe., Robert Randolph, and even The B52s, who have all tapped Big Something as direct support.

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Sour Bridges

Founded in 2009, Austin-based Sour Bridges is a band that has turned into a tight-knit family. Established early on as a mainstay in Austin’s finest venues, the band has branched out in recent years to earn substantial airplay in the region and play roots music festivals UTOPiAfest, CMJ Music Marathon, SXSW, Daytrotter and more.

Leftover Salmon

For the past quarter-century, Colorado’s Leftover Salmon has established itself as one of the great purveyors of Americana music, digging deep into the well that supplies its influences; rock ‘n’ roll, folk, bluegrass, Cajun, soul, zydeco, jazz and blues. During their twenty-five plus years as a band they have headlined shows and festivals from coast to coast, released nine albums, and maintained a vibrant, relevant and influential voice in the music world.

MONTU

“MONTU is an Oklahoma-based jamtronica act that’s been consistently building a name for itself in the Midwest and beyond. Based out of Norman, Oklahoma, the electronic-infused four-piece frequently takes their show on the road, having played from coast-to-coast at a number of festivals and clubs in addition to opening for the likes of scene favorites such as Umphrey’s McGee, The Disco Biscuits, Lotus, EOTO, Papadosio, The Floozies, and more.